Attachment for planes.



O. S. FLANDERS.

ATTACHMENT FOR PLANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1911.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

ammo/14 006 Q 51 272242 4 24 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS S. FLANIJERS, OF CHILMARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TWENTIETH T0 JAMES M. VINCENT, OF VINEYARD HAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ATTACHMENT FOR PLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 6, 1911.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 631,588.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OTIS S. Fnannnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chilmark, in the county of Dukes and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Planes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carpenters tools and more particularly to planes and the like, and has for an object to provide an attachment adapted for use upon the usual carpenters plane to reduce the liability of surface chipping some times termed digging, and. which consists in a splitting effect upon the wood grain as opposed to the cutting action which is desired in such devices.

It is well known that the grain of many fine woods is irregular in direction and while in some portions the plane will work smoothly thereon, on. an immediately adja cent area the fibers of the wood would be in clined toward the plane, the blade of which tears out portions of the surface instead of cutting it smoothly. This has made neces: sary the use of scrapers in treating such woods, a much more expensive and slower process than planing. Many woods, hard, or otherwise satisfactory for use in cabinet making and in situations where a fine finish and attractive appearance are desired have been practically abandoned for such use because of their unsatisfactory working qualities, and the expense of putting a fine finish thereon due to the irregularity of their grain.

It is therefore a most important and valuable object of this invention to provide an attachment for planes, by the use of which such woods may be finished by the use of a plane and consequently made available for economical working.

It is appreciated that the familiar device known as the break iron or cap plate has for its object the improvement of the action of planes by deflecting the shaving, and the present invention effects an advance over the function of the break iron, which has not operated to remedy the conditions stated above.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following descriptions, and from the drawings, in which, 7

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device, Fig. 2 is a plan of an ordinary plane bit and cap plate having my device therebctwccn, indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the chisel and cap plate with my improved device thereon.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown formally a plane 10 which may be of any desired form, in the mouth 11 of which is adjusted the usual form of plane bit 12. The bit is provided with the usual longitudinal slot 13 for the engagement of the screw ll therethrough and with an apcrtured cap plate 15 for the bracing of the bit, as will be understood. Secured between the plane bit and cap plate, is my improved device indicated by the numeral 20, which con'lprises an auxiliary cap plate of exceedingly thin resilient metal, having apertures 20 corresponding to those in the cap plate, and being approximately the same size as the cap plate, although it may be made smaller if desired. It will be noted that the lower end of the cap plate is bowed slightly outward and its extremity turned inwardly of its major plane, whereby it is adapted to press the outer or lower end of the plate 20 firmly against the bit. The plate 20 is provided with a blunt lower edge 21 extending parallel to the cutting edge of the chisel, and in close spaced relation therewith, the plate 20 being bowed as at 92 at a point corresponding to the bow of the cap plate but being bent in a lesser degree. In the detailed Fig. 2 the plate 20 is shown in enlarged form, and it will be seen that its end portion is spaced closely adjacent the edge of the plane bit, the spacing being adjustably variable by means of the screw 14, as will be understood, to suit the requirements of various woods, with some of which the device may not be required. The lower edge of the plate 20 is curved transversely with respect to its major plane, the curve varying from that near the lower face where it is of the least convexity as at 23 and greatest radius, to the upper face adjacent which it is most convexed and of short radius as at 24-. Its lower edge portion at its junction with the lower face of the plate 20 extends upwardly at an angle of probably about, 10 degrees with respect to the sole of the plane.

In use, in the fine-grain, hard woods, the fibers of which are irregular in direction, it is, of course, not practicable to take a deep bite and when the plane is to be used thereon the bit is adjusted beneath the sole so as to make a very thin shaving. Owing to the great strength of the fiber of many of the hard woods, when the irregularity in the grain is encountered by the bit where the fibers are inclined toward the bit, as the shaving is formed the fibers bear against the upper face of the bit tending to be raised laterally upward a slight tear ultimately occurring, and as the shaving gradually thickens whereby its strength is increased, the lifting effect is gradually accentuated. With only the ordinary cap plate or break iron, the chip rides thereover as though it were a continuation of the upper face of the chisel the tearing continuing until the chip breaks by reason of the buttressing efiect of the undisturbed fibers,

the break occurring considerably below the surface formed by the cutting edge of the bit and spoiling the work.

With my plate 20 disposed as shown, the blunt lower edge portion thereof will engage the rigid fibers of the wood as they are lifted in the form of a shaving, bending them abruptly outward or backward perhaps breaking them before they attain sufficient strength to lift the uncut fibers. This abrupt bending of the shaving is accomplished without obstructing the exit of the shaving, as the thickness of the shaving and of my plate 20 is so slight as to make practically no difference in the size of the mouth opening. The plate 20 is thought to perform a certain amount of movement longitudinally of the bit at times in operation. The distance within which the fibers attain suficient strength to accomplish the lifting or tearing effect, differs in various woods, but in the harder woods is so slight that the breakage of the fibers must occur almost immediately when it is engaged over the edge of the bit, and while the distance of the edge 21 from the cutting edge may be varied its efliciency is principally derived when very close to the cutting edge, as is necessary with the very brittle and strong fibers of some of the hard woods. While the thickness of my plate 20 may be varied as desired, I have found in practice that it operates well when made of sheet material 1/6& of an inch in thickness. In the claim reference is made to a regular cap plate, which it is understood is the plate 15, and distinct from a clamping plate.

What is claimed is:

In a plane, the combination of a bit and regular cap plate secured thereto, of an auxiliary cap plate of metal much thinner than the said regular cap plate and having a blunt end edge projected beyond the lower end of the regular cap plate and adjusted in close parallel. relation to the cutting edge of the bit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTIS S. FLANDERS. Witnesses:

JAMES S. AnAMs, CHARLES G. FLANDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

